Mini-Me: Pope on Catholic Priests Who Are Pedophiles — 2% (8,000) or More? 848 Defrocked, 2,572 in Isolation — How About 10%?

An interview that credits Pope Francis as saying about 2% of Roman Catholic clerics are pedophiles stirred controversy Sunday, as the Vatican sought to raise questions about the article’s accuracy and others called on the pope to take more action on the issue.

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At a United Nations hearing this year, the Vatican said it had defrocked 848 priests over the last decade and ordered 2,572 to “live a life of prayer and penance” because of abuse allegations. There are about 414,000 Roman Catholic priests worldwide, according to the BBC; if 2% are pedophiles, that would be more than 8,000.

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Meanwhile, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said the “real percentage of predator priests” is much higher than 2% and called on the pope to defrock clerics who participate in cover-ups.

Phi Beta Iota: The BBC report cites a 5% or less rate for pedophiles among the standard population. We agree with those who suggest the percentage of pedophiles is much higher within the Catholic priesthood, we would speculatively put it at 10-15% instead of 2% or 5%. Instead of 1:50, 1 out of every 10 to 15 Catholic priests is not to be trusted with children.